Appreciation of the play Bac Son

2 Sample Essays Reflecting on the play Bac Son

1. Reflection on the play Bac Son, Sample 1:

A native son of Duc Tu has infused his work with a revolutionary reality and resistance, imbued with heroism and historical ambiance. This individual, along with the play Bac Son, marked the beginning of the revolutionary literary genre in our country. That is the writer Nguyen Huy Tuong, who consistently emphasizes national spirit and historical inspiration, as evidenced by the excerpt from the play Bac Son depicting the internal development of the character Thom when faced with choices. As stated: 'Everyone must confront difficult choices at least once in their life. But once the choice is overcome, one will understand who they are and experience contentment.'

Life always places us amidst numerous choices, and it's not easy to make the right decision. It is a process of internal struggle and suffering, but when a choice is made, individuals not only understand themselves but also find joy in living and tranquility within the soul. Thom - the central character in the excerpt, is the daughter of Grandfather Phuong and the sister of Sang - two revolutionary soldiers who fought and sacrificed for the cause of national liberation. However, Thom is also the wife of Ngoc - a traitor, a cowardly accomplice leading the French to attack Vu Lang village, causing pain to her own people and severe damage to the revolution. Thai and Cuu, two revolutionary soldiers, when pursued by Ngoc, mistakenly ran into his house, luckily finding only Thom at home. At this moment, we witness a strong, decisive transformation in both the emotions and actions of the character Thom.

Essay Presentation Reflection on the play Bac Son

From indifference and fear of implication to remorse when her father and brother sacrifice for the revolution, Thom faces torment as she becomes an accomplice to the enemy. In a highly tense and suspenseful situation, Thai and Cuu, two revolutionary soldiers hunted by the French, rush straight to her door. Meanwhile, Ngoc - her husband, is searching for them and could return home at any moment. Thom must quickly contemplate and make a decisive choice. Her immediate options are to stand with the revolution, saving the two soldiers, or remain passive and let Thai and Cuu be captured. In the future, she would live with a troubled conscience. This is indeed a 'difficult choice' in Thom's life.

Faced with that choice, Thom is confused and panicked: 'Oh no, are the two of them being chased? What to do now? Ngoc just left, probably... I won't inform them. If I die, I die, but I won't inform them. But how can they leave now?' So, she decides to stand with the revolution, to save Thai and Cuu. But being a girl accustomed to a comfortable life, Thom, when making this choice, hasn't figured out how to help the two revolutionary soldiers escape. As a result, she becomes more frantic and anxious.

At that moment, Ngoc returns, escalating the situation's intensity and danger. Thom decides to act discreetly and says, 'You two, don't go anywhere, stay here for a while, maybe...' Although her address remains distant, we sense a familiarity, a closer relationship, more 'obedient and quick, intimate like a younger sister' with the two men in the family.

With this choice, Thom escapes the state of moral dilemma to align entirely with the masses sympathetic to the revolution. This is not a random or fortunate choice. Nguyen Huy Tuong doesn't build rigid, awkward psychological characters but portrays a gradual transformation with motivating factors. The decision to stand with the revolution arises not just from regret and remorse for the heroic sacrifice of her father and brother, continuing the family tradition, but also from compassion, respect for Thai. Prior to this, Thom only knew Thai through stories, but from this first meeting, Thai's courage, insight, and calmness have influenced and awakened Thom. Like other revolutionary soldiers, trusting the people, Thai believes in Thom, trusting the bloodline of Grandfather Phuong. Thanks to that trust, Thom makes the choice and decision swiftly, obediently, and accurately.

This decision is further affirmed when Ngoc returns. Cleverly, Thom engages in an intimate, gentle conversation with Ngoc to mislead him. During the dialogue, Thom discerns her husband's cunning, power-hungry nature, and deep-seated animosity. From subtle hints like, 'Only feel sorry for poor Sang,' to more direct statements like, 'Behind the house! The room is that way,' as a way of signaling the two soldiers, she genuinely expresses her concern, almost desperately asking, 'Why wait there? Why not invite them in for a while?' Recognizing Ngoc's true nature, Thom understands that her choice is righteous. Even in adversity, oppression from ruthless enemies, revolutionary sentiment still thrives within each individual, like a flame waiting to ignite brightly when the wind blows. The revolution cannot be extinguished, for it always carries the potential to inspire, awaken the people, nurtured by the spirit of unity and the love of the nation.

Nguyen Huy Tuong's art of writing vividly portrays Thom's psychological transition, a reasonable and crucial turning point when she makes a choice. Building conflicts and dramatic contrasts in Thom's inner self, organizing dialogues vividly illustrates the distinctive personalities of each character: Cuu, courageous and resolute in eliminating traitors but impulsive and outspoken; Thai, calm, insightful, always trusting the people, possessing the power to influence people emotionally; Ngoc, cunning, vengeful, power-hungry. Through this, Thom's character stands out as a Tay woman revolutionized, overcoming past traumas to embrace the revolution wholeheartedly. A strong woman facing imminent execution still challenges, 'I bet he can't destroy the guerrilla forces; I challenge the Westerner to destroy the guerrilla forces.' This depicts strong beliefs and the people's sentiment towards the revolution. In Thom, we see the beauty of the common people and Vietnamese women, a 'remarkable success of Nguyen Huy Tuong in writing about revolution and Vietnamese women.'

The heroic resistance struggle may be over, but within every line, every page, we still feel the deep emotions, the profound love of the people, and the strong military spirit. These are the clothed people, 'no one remembers their faces or names. But they have built the country,' depicted through the Tay Nguyen compatriots who bravely resisted the French, as seen in the character Nup in 'The Rising Country'; those who carry the village and commune names in every migration trip, with their emotions and trust in the revolution, like Mr. Hai in the short story 'The Village,' or the scenes of poverty, hardship, famine encapsulated in the image of the red flag with a yellow star fluttering in 'The Wife Picks.' The poor souls in the ravenous struggle have seen the image of the red flag with a yellow star glowing brightly. These are the 'pots of rice feeding the guerrillas hidden in the forest,' the women who 'carry the village name, the commune name in every migration trip,' the heroic mothers of Vietnam, the mother of the People's Liberation Army, 'loving children, loving comrades, cherishing comrades.' The revolutionary literary foundation with monumental characters in words about the people, about the roots of the revolution reflects the reality of the struggle of an era with many difficulties, dangers, but warm human feelings, and the robust spirit of national solidarity.

The final dialogues of the two acts of the Bắc Sơn play may conclude, but the revolutionary events and new characters of the era, the masses and revolutionary soldiers, live on in our hearts. Thom represents a community undergoing a powerful transformation, decisively following the revolutionary path, seeking inner peace, continuing and promoting the patriotic tradition of each family, each region, contributing to the victory of a brave, resilient nation.

2. Reflection on the Bắc Sơn play, sample number 2:

Nguyen Huy Tuong (1912-1960), born in Dục Tú commune, Đông Anh district - Hanoi. He started writing before 1945. Nguyen Huy Tuong's work emphasizes the national spirit and is rich in historical inspiration. After the August Revolution, Nguyen Huy Tuong became one of the key writers in revolutionary literature.

The text from Bắc Sơn is excerpted from the play of the same name by Nguyen Huy Tuong, depicting the struggle between patriotic people supporting the revolution and the traitors who betray their conscience, ready to kneel as minions for the enemy during Vietnam's revolutionary period.

The events in this excerpt mainly take place in the Thom - Ngoc family. Before the death of her father, Thom gradually realizes Ngoc's betraying nature. She is extremely saddened and regrets. Thai and Cuu, pursued by the enemy, mistakenly run into Thom's house, where Thom hides and rescues them.

In a play, the situation plays an extremely crucial role. It accelerates the development of events, forcing characters to act, thereby revealing their personalities, qualities, as well as thoughts, perspectives... The dramatic conflict in Act IV is manifested through a highly tense situation. Ngoc leads soldiers to hunt down officials and guerrillas. Thai and Cuu, pursued by Ngoc and his gang, run straight into Ngoc's house. This situation forces Thom to make a decisive choice: either let Ngoc capture the officials for personal safety, or hide them in her house, which would be extremely dangerous. By hiding the two, Thom firmly stands with the revolution.

Reflection on Act IV of the Bắc Sơn play by Nguyễn Huy Tưởng

The appearance of the two revolutionary officials in Act II shifted the dramatic conflict in a different direction. In the situation of being pursued by the enemy, the trust of the revolutionary officials in the common people is of utmost importance, related to the life of each person and, more broadly, to the success or failure of the revolution.

In this play, the allure of the character Thom lies not in the struggle between life and death, nor in the hesitation to hide or declare that the two officials are in her house. When Cuu and Thai first appear, Thom is startled but mainly due to the surprise. After the initial shock, Thom decisively protects the two revolutionary officials. She doesn't worry about the danger of hiding the revolutionary officials but only concerns herself with how to protect them. The urgent situation highlights the noble action of a patriotic community. She cleverly pushes them into the forbidden room (according to the customs of many ethnic minorities, the private room is a restricted area for strangers). With this bold move, she leaves no room for Ngoc's suspicion.

In Act III, the fierce and ironic nature of the situation pushed the dramatic conflict to its peak. On one side is Thom, who courageously defies tradition, opposes her husband, and hides revolutionary officials right in her house. On the other side is Ngoc, currently in the pursuit of officials to gain favor with the enemy. Ngoc is completely unaware that the officials he is determined to capture for credit are right in his own house. He hesitates to leave because of his desire to linger with his beautiful young wife.

This ironic situation intensifies the theatrical element. Ngoc is oblivious, but the more he hesitates, the more anxious Thom becomes. The psychological development of the characters is quite complex, progressing through different stages:

Initially, Thom pretends to be sweet to her husband, even expressing regret for words spoken to him before, all to prevent Ngoc from suspecting anything.

When she realizes the garden exit is unintentionally blocked (due to Ngoc's accomplices waiting outside), Thom deliberately speaks loudly to make the officials aware and take precautions, preventing them from using that route.

Thom tries to subtly get her husband to leave quickly to expedite the rescue for the two revolutionary officials. This is in complete contradiction to Thom's initial attitude of trying to keep her husband at home. Despite appearing surprised, luckily, Ngoc doesn't grasp the significance of this unusual behavior.

In this act, every word and action by Ngoc is unintentional, yet this unintentionality adds more intrigue to the play. The audience is on edge, closely following every word and action of Thom. Thom finds herself in a difficult situation: if she pushes her husband away too obviously, he may become suspicious. If she keeps him at home as initially planned, he might choose to stay, putting the two officials in danger. Therefore, Thom has to be clever in her words, relying on her husband's statements to prevent any suspicion while also finding ways to make him leave quickly.

Her trust and determination to protect the Party and the revolution make Thom sharp-witted and precise in both words and actions. She not only saves the two officials from enemy capture but also instills in them confidence in the power of the people.

In Act Four, Ngoc fully reveals the true nature of a traitorous collaborator. Originally a low-ranking servant, Ngoc nurtures ambitions for power and wealth. When the uprising occurs, Ngoc willingly becomes a pawn for the enemy. He leads the French forces to attack Vu Lang, the stronghold of the revolutionary forces, and then actively hunts down the revolutionaries, especially Thai and Cuu. Despite Ngoc's attempts to conceal his true nature, Thom gradually exposes his villainous essence, further prompting her decisive alignment with the revolution.

To grasp the profound values and ideas that author Nguyen Huy Tuong wishes to convey through Act IV of the play Bac Son, alongside the piece 'Appreciating Bac Son Play,' you may also explore: Compose an essay on Bac Son, Mind map of Bac Son, Analysis of Act IV of Bac Son play to highlight its rugged nature, Summary of Bac Son play.